The Denison University women's tennis team advanced to the championship match of the 2010 North Coast Athletic Conference women's tennis tournament after posting a pair of 6-0 victories over the College of Wooster and Oberlin College on Friday.
Against the Scots, senior Marta Drane (Wilmington, Del./Tower Hill), rookie Jane Lent (Glenview, Ill./Cranbrook-Kingswood) and senior Maggie Colvin (Pepper Pike, Ohio/Orange) all posted straight-set victories at No. 1, 3 and 4 singles, respectively. In doubles action, Lent and fellow first-year Alex Marcell (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) logged an 8-3 decision at first doubles, while Colvin and classmate Kara Zdanowski (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) won at the second flight, 8-2. At third doubles, sophomores Courtney Steiner (Fishers, Ind./Heritage Christian) and Elizabeth Emhardt (Carmel, Ind./Park Tudor School) blanked Suzanne Hamby and Erin Bauer.
Against the Yeowomen, DU jumped out to a 3-0 lead after sweeping doubles competition. Junior Kristin Cobb (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) and Drane teamed up to knock off Ariel Lewis and Finley Gates 8-3 at No. 1 doubles, while Zdanowski and Erin Chadwell (Chicago, Ill./Traverse City Central) picked up an 8-1 victory at second doubles. Lent and Marcell picked up their second win of the day with an 8-2 decision over Rebecca Brown and Julie Christensen.
Seniors Zdanowski and Colvin secured Denison's semifinal win with victories at fourth and sixth singles. Zdanowski defeated Brown 6-1, 6-1, while Colvin posted a 6-0, 6-1 decision over Emily Thebaut. In a matchup of regionally ranked opponents, Cobb and Lewis took part in a three-set war. Cobb, currently ranked 10th in the central region, dropped the opening set 6-4 to Lewis, who entered the match ranked seventh in the region. The junior rebounded to take the second set 6-3 and force a super tie breaker. The Dayton native knocked off Lewis in the third set by way of a 10-6 decision.
Denison (15-4) will take on Kenyon College in the championship match of the 2010 NCAC Women's Tennis Championships in Granville. The title match is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Denison University's outdoor courts.
